David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitutionpoints out that the Braves last won a divisional title in 2005 while using 18 different rookies, yet with Kelly Johnson getting non-tendered over the weekend only one of those guys remains on the team: Brian McCann.
O’Brien notes that the “Baby Braves” were “celebrated for their energy, for the ‘fire’ they brought to a big-league team that had become viewed by some as being too button-downed and stoic for its own good.” Of course, that season marked their 14th straight division title, so it was easy to attach positive traits to the newcomers and assume that their development would allow the winning machine to keep chugging along.
In reality McCann proved to be an All-Star catcher, Johnson proved to be a solid everyday second baseman when healthy, and … well, that’s about it. Jeff Francoeuer, Joey Devine, Chuck James, and Wilson Betemit have had their moments, though not always in Atlanta, and Blaine Boyer, Frank Brooks, Matt Childers, Roman Colon, Kyle Davies, Chuck James, Ryan Langerhans, Anthony Lerew, Andy Marte, Macay McBride, Pete Orr, Brayan Pena, and Jorge Vasquez have mostly been flat-out busts. Seriously, read that list again.
While winning 14 straight division titles the Braves seemingly churned out a young player or two capable of making a long-term impact every season, so looking over that list of the 18 rookies from 2005 goes a long way toward explaining how Atlanta has gone just 321-327 while finishing no higher than third place in the four seasons since. Fortunately it looks like 2008 rookie Jair Jurrjens and 2009 rookie Tommy Hanson will be in the rotation for the long haul and uber prospect Jason Heyward is on the way for 2010.

The Cardinals have always emphasized building from within. In the 2016-17 offseason, however, they may end up being one of the bigger free agent buyers. At least according to some informed speculation.

The Cardinals are already losing their first round pick due to the Fowler signing, so any other top free agent won’t cost them more than the money he’s owed. And as far as money goes, the Cardinals have a great deal of it, despite being a small market team. They have a billion dollar TV deal coming online and Matt Holliday and Jaime Garcia are off the payroll now. Spending big on a free agent or three would not cripple them or anything.

Encarnacion or Trumbo would be first baseman, which wold fly in the face of the Cards’ move of Matt Carpenter to first base (and, at least as far as Encarnacion goes, would fly in the face of good defense). Getting either of them would push Carpenter back to second, displacing Kolten Wong, or over to third, displacing Jhonny Peralta. If you’re going to do that, I’d say that Turner would make more sense, but what do I know?

Either way, the Cardinals may be entering a pretty interesting phase of their offseason now. And an unfamiliar one as, quite possibly, the top free agent buyer on the market.

There is literally nothing you could tell me that the incoming administration is considering which would shock me anymore. As such, I saw this story when I woke up this morning, blinked once, took a sip of coffee, closed the browser window and just went on with my morning, as desensitized as a wisdom tooth about to be yanked.

Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports that Former Red Sox, Mets and Rangers manager Bobby Valentine is on a short-list of candidates for the job of United States Ambassador to Japan:

The 66-year-old, who currently serves as Sacred Heart University’s athletics director, has engaged in preliminary discussions with President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team regarding the position.

Valentine managed the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan’s Pacific League for six seasons, leading the team to a championship in 2005. He also knows the current prime minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, as both went to USC. Assuming championship teams meet the country’s leader in Japan like they do in the United States, Valentine has at least twice the amount of experience with top political leaders than does, say, Ned Yost, so that’s something.

The former manager, more importantly, is friends with Donald Trump’s brother, with the two of them going way back. Which, given how this transition is going, seems like a far more important set of qualifications than anything else on this list.